Kentucky pushes for school innovation using charter-style freedom

Oct. 27, 2012

Terry Holliday

Written by

The Courier-Journal

The plan at a glance

Districts of Innovation is a new program that grants waivers for some state laws and regulations to allow Kentucky schools to try innovative approaches to how, where and when students learn. The state will begin accepting applications this winter for school programs, requiring teacher approval, that will start with an estimated 10 schools in 2013-14. It will later be expanded.

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In some Kentucky public schools, a raft of state regulations, along with institutional lethargy, can stymie educators from trying innovative ideas to boost achievement, educators say.

But what if schools were freed to teach students in radical new ways — allowing them, for example, to shift the school day, learn outside the classroom and trade in written tests for presentations that demonstrate learning.

That’s the idea behind the Kentucky Board of Education’s “Districts of Innovation,” a program created by the General Assembly that, starting next year, will give an initial group of 10 or more public schools freedom to experiment without having to meet every state rule.

“These will look and feel more like charter schools,” said David Cook, director of innovation at the Kentucky Department of Education, who spoke to educators in Louisville on Friday about the program. “The idea is to allow them to innovate without the fear of being slapped for it.”

State Education Commissioner Terry Holliday said he wants schools and districts to fundamentally rethink what school looks like, and he warned district leaders Friday to “not bother to apply at all if all you want to do is move the chairs on the Titanic.”

“We’ve not quite cracked the nut” of learning how to raise achievement for all schools and students, he said. “And we’re really looking for something creative to help these kids.”

The program was created earlier this year under House Bill 37, modeled in part on components of charter laws in other states.

But Kentucky charter school proponents — who for years have pushed unsuccessfully for a law legalizing charter schools — say it’s not a meaningful substitute. And they say it won’t keep them from seeking true charter legislation, which teacher unions and most Democrats oppose.

“It will help by relieving a few more regulations and red tape, but it’s not even close to true charter schools,” said Richard Innes, an education analyst for the conservative Bluegrass Institute policy center, noting that innovative schools will still be run by the school system.

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Earlier this month, the state board of education approved regulations for “innovation schools.” Districts can soon apply, with the first batch of schools to start in 2013-14.

Participating schools must use their new flexibility to increase achievement, particularly among low-scoring students. And they must get the approval of the school council and 70 percent of its teachers.

Apart from state requirements for safety, health, civil rights, graduation and academic standards and several other areas, they can request freedom from all other rules that govern areas such as the structure of their school day, instructional time, curriculum and governance.

Cook said education regulations are needed to ensure that schools meet standards. But, he said, “those who are following rules may have great ideas but don’t feel like they can” for fear they will be seen as failing to meet expectations.

The state is urging schools to come up with their ideas, but Cook gave a few examples.

He said part of a school’s innovation could include an irregular annual school schedule with extended breaks, or allowing high school students to start their day later, perhaps allow some to start early and others to come in for a second shift that wouldn’t start until early afternoon.

“Many high school kids don’t function well until later in the morning, so why do we bring them to school early in the morning when they’re asleep?” Cook said.

Other possibilities:

• Students might earn course credit outside of school — through college courses, in work study, study in a foreign country, community service and independent studies designed by the student. Accelerated learning could let students take internships or courses on college campuses, while others could follow a personalized curriculum plan that allows them to progress at their own pace.

• Teachers might be broken into nontraditional roles, such as “master teachers” and academic “diagnosticians.” And they could be freed from pay schedules so that those with more responsibility or skill could earn more.

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Districts must apply on behalf of schools and include plans, budgets and measurable academic goals. Each school would be monitored by state officials, who could revoke the status.

Gary Houchens, an education professor at Western Kentucky University, said it won’t necessarily provide the same parental choice or market pressure to succeed that charters have, but he said that “schools suffer under a lot of burdensome regulations. Any relief we can give teachers is a good idea.”

But Innes is skeptical that 70 percent of teachers in a lower-performing school will agree to changes in approach or to alter collective bargaining agreements.

One educator at Friday’s presentation in Louisville said she worried teachers in her school might not want to work extended days, for example.

But Brent McKim, president of the Jefferson County Teachers Association, which supported the legislation, said nearly 100 schools this year have modified labor agreements, and he believes teachers will support successful strategies.

“If teachers recognize something as a good idea, they’ll vote for it,” he said.

To help fund the innovation schools, Holliday plans in part to use a recently created nonprofit educational “venture capital” fund for innovation that has already drawn $3 million in funds from yet-to-be-announced national donor groups. He said districts and local charities may also be sharing costs.

If the program is successful, Cook said the schools may require the state to make changes or grant exception waivers to the state’s funding formula, which are based on daily attendance at school. Otherwise, he said, the schools could lose funds if their students finish courses early or learn outside of school walls.

Jefferson County Superintendent Donna Hargens, who attended the presentation, said she is excited about the prospect. She said it was too soon to know if JCPS would participate. But she praised an effort to rethink how education is delivered.

“We’re not going to get to where we need to go by doing the same thing we’ve been doing all along,” she said.